Report: Monaco rebuffs Arsenal's €100M bid for Kylian Mbappe
Back-threes and €100-million bids - is life under Arsene Wenger taking an exhilarating turn?
Monaco has scrapped an €100-million (£87-million) offer from Arsenal for sought-after striker Kylian Mbappe, according to The Telegraph's Jason Burt, after a breakout season on the domestic and continental scene.
It's the third bid for the 18-year-old rejected by the principality outfit this summer, which includes Real Madrid's world-record approach of €120 million (£105 million) last month.
Although it may appear Arsenal cheaped out on its bid compared to Real Madrid's lavish proposal, the Gunners' package reportedly included add-ons and performance-related payments on top of the €100 million, according to The Evening Standard's James Olley.
And Arsenal could be keeping its attempted transfer under wraps after BBC Sport's David Ornstein declared the club is denying contact with Monaco over Mbappe. The player and Wenger have talked in the past; the wily gaffer said in May that he went to Mbappe's house last year in an attempt to pry the striker from Monaco when his old contract was nearing its expiration.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
The pitch to Monaco - if it's not fictional - demonstrates the keenness Arsenal has in establishing itself in the upper rungs of the European game after finishing fifth in the Premier League to deny qualification into the Champions League for the 20th straight season.
However, an approach for Mbappe could also be viewed as a contingency plan due to the contracts of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil winding down next summer amid speculation that one or both will move elsewhere in this window.
Thankfully for a fan base divided in its support for Wenger, a mostly disappointing campaign ended brightly for Arsenal after it humbled Premier League champion Chelsea in last Saturday's FA Cup final. It was a tactically astute and deserved 2-1 victory at Wembley for the Islington-based side.
Wenger subsequently extended his 21-year stay in north London by a further two years Wednesday.
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